Abstract

Background

Factors Influencing Depression Endpoints Research (FINDER) is a 6-month, prospective,
observational study carried out in 12 European countries aimed at investigating health-related
quality of life (HRQoL) in outpatients receiving pharmacological treatment for a first
or new depressive episode. Baseline characteristics of patients enrolled in Italy
are presented.

Methods

All treatment decisions were at the discretion of the investigator. Data were collected
at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Baseline evaluations included demographics,
medical and psychiatric history, and medications used in the last 24 months and prescribed
at enrolment. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), was adopted to evaluate
depressive symptoms, while somatic and painful physical symptoms were assessed by
using the Somatic Symptom Inventory (SSI) and a 0 to 100 mm visual analogue scale
(VAS), HRQoL via 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the European Quality
of Life 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) instrument.

Results

A total of 513 patients were recruited across 38 sites. The mean ± standard deviation
(SD) age at first depressive episode was 38.7 ± 15.9 years, the mean duration of depression
10.6 ± 12.3 years. The most common psychiatric comorbidities in the previous 24 months
were anxiety/panic (72.6%) and obsessive/compulsive disorders (13.4%), while 35.9%
had functional somatic syndromes. Most patients (65.1%) reported pain from any cause.
Monotherapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants
(TCAs) was prescribed at enrolment in 64.5% and 6.4% of the cases, respectively. The
most commonly prescribed agents were sertraline (17.3%), escitalopram (16.2%), venlaflaxine
(15.6%) and paroxetine (14.8%). The mean HADS subscores for depression and anxiety
were 13.3 ± 4.2 and 12.2 ± 3.9, respectively; 76.4% of patients could be defined as
being 'probable cases' for depression and 66.2% for anxiety. The mean total score
of VAS-pain in the last week was 42.9 ± 27.1, with highest scores reported in the
'interference of pain with daily activities' and in 'amount of time patient was awake
and had pain'. From SF-36, the worst health status was found for role limitations
due to emotional problem, mental health and social functioning. A mean score < 50
(that is, below the standardised population norm) was also found in all remaining
domains. The SF-36 summary scores and EQ-5D (health status and VAS) were lower in
patients with moderate/severe pain than in those with no or mild pain.

Conclusion

The baseline results of patients enrolled in the FINDER study in Italy show clinical
and functional impairments, and poor HRQoL. The results obtained after 6 months of
therapy will permit better understanding the effects of different variables on clinical
outcomes and HRQoL.